Aftermath of a Slap
by Angel of Music lover
Summary: A oneshot about the aftermath of a slap in Third Year for Hermione and Draco. Why does Hermione's hand refuse to stop tingling? Slight DHr


**A/N: Okay… so I should totally be working on my chapter fics that I haven't updated in weeks. But, I really felt like writing a oneshot and I decided to go for something I've never tried before. Now, to make this clear I'm a BIG Ron/Hermione shipper. Anything else and I would have slammed the new Harry Potter book against a wall. But a little Draco/Hermione can't hurt in fanfiction can it?? Anyhow, nothing actually happens. It takes place in the third book, right after Hermione gets the guts up to slap Draco. So, please review and tell me what you thought!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.**

_Slap!_

The sound echoed across the grounds and caused passersby to glance over in surprise and, in some cases, extreme approval. Those closest to the scene though felt their jaws drop considerably and their ears sting by the loudness (not to mention awkwardness) of the slap.

Draco Malfoy reeled back from the sudden impact coming from the palm of Hermione Granger, staring in wide-eyed shock before regaining his cool seconds later. Sure, her sudden desire for violence was a bit of a shock to him but it was always better to not let her know that. Anything was better than giving her the satisfaction of throwing a Malfoy off guard.

And that was why, without another word, the young Malfoy restrained his bodyguards, turned on his heel, and stalked away from the bushy haired freak, trying not to hold his cheek. All the while, as he mounted a hill to return back to the castle, he was muttering dangerously under his breath.

"Just a stupid hippogriff," he spat, as if it were an oath. "A stupid, filthy hippogriff defended by a stupid bloody Giant. Don't see why a stupid Mudblood should care so much." Crabbe and Goyle said nothing in response, though their knuckles were cracked in case Draco should change his mind about not fighting back. In fact, they desperately hoped that he would change his mind. They didn't like the idea of a filthy Mudblood getting away with striking a Pureblood. This was considered taboo. At least, it was taboo amongst Purebloods.

They didn't know Draco's steely gray eyes were the closest to blazing they had ever been and that his mind was reeling. Never before had he felt this much hatred for someone besides Saint Potter but he was sure experiencing it now. The fact that someone as revolting as Granger had the nerve to strike him made his very blood boil and his heart pound radically against his ribs.

He would make sure that this wasn't the end of it.

Hermione, on the other hand, felt nothing but incredible satisfaction. Sure, Malfoy had gotten a rise out of her. A blissfully unexpected rise and though Hermione didn't like the fact he had made her so angry she also felt blessed that she knew how to stand up for what she thought to be right. It was then that she noticed the expressions on Ron and Harry's faces and she smirked.

"Blimey," Ron whispered with an approving whistle. Hermione just raised her eyebrows and tried not to show how the slap had made her own hand sting, smiling at the boys. There was the problem of not knowing what to say to the blokes after doing something so impulsive and sudden but she soon managed to find the words.

"We'll be late," she finally sniffed and hurried along the path to the castle. Really, she was experiencing an incredible high… an unsurpassed rush. She had finally stood up for herself and for Hagrid against the greasy haired git. He'd had it coming all year and she finally given _Malfoy_ what he deserved. The intense and passionate hatred radiated from her body and Hermione shuddered in the delight of it.

"Yeah… late. Right," Harry said in a daze and pulled Ron along, grinning madly. Hermione didn't even think to roll her eyes as she held up to let her best friends catch up to her. She was too busy reliving the moment in her head and suppressing the urge to laugh crazily. It was a good day.

………………………………………………….

It was hours later and Hermione was seriously worried about her hand. How hard had she hit Malfoy anyway? The tingling sensation after striking him across his pointed face hadn't ceased yet… something that she knew couldn't be right. Not that she would share this with anyone else. They would think her crazy.

But crazy or not she felt sure that a hand shouldn't tingle for this long under any circumstance. Even if that circumstance was hitting your sworn enemy squarely across the face, striking the cheekbone and jaw perfectly. Hermione Granger continued to wonder this as she went through the motions of the rest of the day.

That is of course, until she realized that dinner was in ten minutes and she had completely lost track of the time in her distracted ponderings.

She dashed past Harry and Ron who were arguing about something in the Common Room, barely pausing to wave or simply say hello. She was too flustered about actually forgetting the time thinking about something that had to do with Draco Malfoy. She shuddered for the second time today but out of disgust rather than pleasure as it was immediately after making her stand.

Only a few steps left now and she was in her room. She changed into different robes silently, trying to ignore how her hand almost seemed to vibrate. Soon the silence proved to not be a proper distraction and Hermione changed her tactics.

"If you've never hit anyone in your life, does your hand have to get used to it?" she pondered aloud while headed towards a mirror. "Is the impact too much for the inexperienced palm?" she asked again, this time to her reflection. She rolled her eyes at the stupidity at the question and turned away from the lavatory mirror. "Absurd."

Yet she couldn't keep herself from glancing down at her still faintly red hand, hoping it had changed back to its normal color. It had not.

"Absurd," she decided with an indulgent shake of her head. And with that she danced back down the stairway, eager for some delicious Hogwarts dinner.

But if Hermione had looked closely at the Malfoy boy while crossing eagerly to the Gryffindor table she would have noticed something odd. She would have noticed that Malfoy never removed his hand from one side of his face, making it appear that he was incredibly bored with the conversation around him and had to hold his head up to keep from falling asleep. She might have noticed the faint red that still peeked through his long pale fingers, coming from the cheek she had struck. And she might have seen the familiar bewildered expression… the same on her face whenever she glanced down at her still tingling palm.

Though if Hermione had noticed these things she would have stuck to her new philosophy ("Absurd") and never given it another thought.

In fact, Hermione Granger would never remember the odd occurrence a year later much less on her blissful wedding day or celebrating her child's first birthday. Nor would Draco Malfoy recall when an entire side of his face wouldn't stop itching and bothering him… leaving a splotch of red for hours on his features after he graduated Hogwarts or when his hair began to recede back onto his head.

No, all that memory would recall would be the slap itself. None would remember its aftermath.

**A/N: Was that weird? I kinda think it was. Anyway, it's something I've been meaning to write because I like to experiment with ships. :D So please drop me a review (pleasant ones are preferable but if you simply cannot control yourself then by all means express yourself) and I'll be made so happy!! ;D**


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